Cheshire Smile
by hiraikoneko
Summary: They took me from my home. They killed my family. They made me fight until I lost myself, and they tried to take my dreams. But when you have nothing left...dreams are something no one can take. I dreamt of finding seeing my 'captain' again. Of being surrounded by crewmates. I dreamt of being free once again...and I dreamt that one day remembering my name. For now...Cheshire works.
**_Welcome to Cheshire Grin! I've decided to rewrite this fic, because I started this a long time ago, and I can happily say my writing style has improved GREATLY. Because of this, you'll definitely see a change in quality from earlier chapters...this one is substantially better than the rest of the early chapters...it actually pains me to read them, actually. I'm also editing the main character a little. I realize she was a bit...horrible in the beginning, but got...slightly better eventually. I'm going to see what I can do about her though...That's why I'm posting the rewrite as a separate story...if you want to read the original, go ahead. Just know that this one'll be a fair bit different from the original. And updates will be incredibly slow. I apologize for this..._**

 ** _Anyways, I don't own anything except for my OCs in all their insanity._**

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a great pirate. His name was 'Gold Roger'. He had conquered every single treasure that existed. His last words before his execution have inspired pirates around the world.

 _'Want my ultimate treasures? It's possible…I will give them to those who can find them. I have gathered everything in this world and already hidden it in 'that' place_ ' the pirate king had told all the people who watched him be executed.

The world had entered the pirate era.

But you know what's hilarious?

I didn't know that until they did a visual den den mushi special.

Because my family and I lived in the main lands. I grew up with rolling fields and bustling cities, away from the roaring crash of the ocean as she pounded on the coast. Far away from Marines and Pirates and Tenryuubito-or whatever they were called. On the Mainlands, Grandline really doesn't seem all that important.

They say you can hear the seagulls for miles, but I never even saw one before my father became a Marine and we had to move to a small island in the East Blue. My father told me that the sea was in our blood, and when we came to that island, I felt it right away. It was a soft pull that invited me into the waves at the beach and rocked me to sleep on boats when I went fishing.

The ocean had a way of calling us to her. My father left the Mainlands and moved our family to Shell Island, so he could be a Marine. The ocean called to my uncle as well, but unfortunately, my uncle was a Pirate. He sailed on the very same ship as Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King. My father also mentioned our family being part of a massive Pirate crew, long, long ago, before the world was what it had become.

I was almost six when we moved.

* * *

"I'M GONNA BE A PIRATE!" I shouted through the halls of our house. It probably wasn't a good idea since my Papa was leading his guests around. He had just been promoted once again, and was celebrating with his Marine friends. He made friends very easily.

Now, why was I shouting to the world my plans to become a Pirate? I wasn't all that sure, but my six year old mind thought it was something everyone should know. How ironic was it that the Marine rising star had a daughter that idolized the very people he fought?

"Young Miss!" My maid, Amelia, ran after me as I raced towards my father.

My parents had hired her to keep an eye on me. I was a rather...adventurous child? With my Father working at the base most of the time and my Mother was a vet, so she was often at the clinic. She had a way with animals like you would not believe. A lot of people jokingly said it was like she could just ask the animal what was wrong and diagnose it from there. Dogs never bit her, cats never scratched her...they just let her hold them and help them.

My maid was a beautiful woman, with long, dark brown hair that rolled in waves down to her hips and the kindest, deepest brown eyes in the world. I knew that the colour of her hair was a lie though. Her hair was not dark brown but a goreous caramel colour that turned to different shades of blond and the occasional red when she stood in the sun. She dyed it to hide the colour, but I had seen the dye fade from her hair from time to time. No one really paid her that much attention, so they never noticed the change in colour, but I did. I spent a lot of time with Amelia. She was one of my best friends.

My Father turned to his guests and politely excused himself. He was always polite and mannerful. He was the best example anyone could have. After all, who didn't look up to the polite, handsome Marine man who was brave and perfect in many ways?

He made his way over to us and knelt in front of me, staring into my eyes with his cold blue eyes.

"What's the matter, Kitten?"

That's what he called me. I loved cats very much, they were my favourite animal ever, and my Papa said I acted like one too. I was always playful and friendly...and I had a bad habit of falling asleep whenever I got too comfortable. It didn't help that I was so small.

Unlike me, my Papa was a tall man, and he towered over a lot of people. While I was still so young, it was hard to see what traits we shared, but there was one thing that was painfully obvious. We both had the same bright red hair, only slightly darker than a ripe tomato.

"AMELIA SAYS I GOTTA TAKE A BATH! AND PIRATES DON'T HAVE BATHES!"

"Well, I'm sorry, Kitten, but you'll have to take a bath. You're going to be playing with Helmeppo today."

He ignored the last part about pirates, like he always did. It was like half the things I ever said to him were filtered out.

I didn't really care if he ignored the part about pirates...not when he brought that stupid-face Helmeppo into things.

"NO! HE'S ICKY AND A BIG FAT CRY BABY!"

"Kitten." My father gave me a sharp look and I felt terror squeeze my heart. I knew he would never do anything to hurt me, but it was only human instinct. He had some strange ability thing...I once heard him talk about it to 'Uncle' Morgan. He had to go through super tough training to use it right, but he said it was something that not everyone could use.

"Sorry Papa." I bowed my head before taking Amelia's hand and letting her lead me to my bubble-bath.

Once my bath was done and I was all cleaned up, Amelia went to my Mama's room and told Mama that I was ready.

My Mother's name was Helen De L'Arc, and she never changed it, even after she married my father. She was really proud of her family, and she told me all sorts of stories about them. They were all good with animals. Mama was a beautiful woman. We had the same eyes...bright, shining emerald green eyes. Unlike me, Mama also had blue hair, the colour of the summer sky, or the ocean over the reefs around the island.

Mama was beautiful, especially when she smiled. She smiled a lot, but only when she knew people were looking. Lately, she'd been looking...sadder. I tried to cheer her up, but the things that made me happy weren't the same things that made her happy.

Still, I tried my best to be good, so she'd smile more. Even if being good meant spending time in the same room as that weirdo, Helmeppo.

What kinda name was that, anyways?

* * *

We didn't live that far from Helmeppo's home. Mama was friends with Helmeppo's mama, so I always had to go and play with that stupid, ugly, onion-head.

Mama and I walked over to Helmeppo's and I was immediately shoved into the icky boy's room. He was wearing a stupid little sailor suit and he had this icky smile on his face, like he had something planned.

If I was allowed, I would have punched that smile off his ugly mug, but Mama and Papa wouldn't have let me. I was stronger than most kids my age, and I went to all sorts of marshal arts studios with my Papa. He wanted me to be a really, really strong fighter when I grew up.

A few weeks earlier, I had met my 'big bro'. He called himself Fire Fist Ace. He wasn't much older than me, only about four years older than me. He told me he had eaten a Devil Fruit when he was younger, and it let him turn his body to fire. I really wanted a cool power like that. Ace was really nice too. He liked to teach me all sorts of fighting moves, as long as I promised not to tell my parents.

I never would.

He was after all, my first pirate friend. He had even promised me a spot in his crew once I was old enough. That made him my Captain. He told me that once I was a teenager, I could join. It made sense...I guess. He was he Captain, and he was nearly a teenager...he was already in the 'double-digits' and everything...a whole ten years old.

I couldn't wait until I was old enough to leave Shell Island. I'd have to leave a bit before I joined Ace's grew...just to get the Marines off my tail. I knew they'd chase after, since Papa wasn't a fan of pirates.

Stupid Marine.

Until then...I was stuck with _**this**_ little snot.

"Well, hello." That spoiled little worm said with a super ugly look on his face that made me want to wretch ten times more than his normal face did.

"What do you want?" I crossed my arms and glared at him from the other side of the room. I didn't want to go any closer to him than I had to. It was bad enough I was stuck in the same room.

"I just wanted to show you something." He gestured for me to come over.

I warily walked over. He had played a lot of pranks on me in the past, but his Mama usually yelled at him afterwards. She wore the pants in their family, no matter what 'Uncle' Morgan tried to say. She didn't put up with either of their cr- nonsense.

I warily walked over, noticing he had something hidden behind his back. Curiosity got the best of me, and I couldn't help but wanna know what he had.

The onion-head suddenly knocked me over, but before I could get up, or even yell at him, he shoved something in my mouth. Accidentally biting into it, I was greeted by an icky, bitter taste. Because that little snot had his hand over my mouth, I swallowed whatever he'd put in my mouth, just to get rid of the bad taste.

Helmeppo started laughing loudly, holding his side with one hand while he pointed at me with the other.

"I can't believe you ate that!

"What did you put in my mouth!?" I snarled, grabbing his shirt with one hand, while I clenched my other into a fist. Pain flared in my palm as my nails dug into it, making it bleed. I paused for a moment to stare at me hand...Hadn't Amelia filed them down this morning?

"You- You loser! You ate it..."

"What was it!?" I shook him and pulled my fist back, ready to deck him.

"H-How should I know? My dad had it in his room, it was something he got on his last mission. It-It was a fruit or something!" He looked scared and I smirked at his reaction.

I enjoyed fear. It wasn't a nice thing, but what can I say?

I was a future pirate, no matter what Mama and Papa had planned.

Slowly, I lowered my fist, knowing there'd be trouble if I hit him.

A shame. It'd be a long time before I got another chance.

* * *

A couple hours later, Mama and I went back home. Me and that stupid onion had fought the whole time, but Mama had no idea. She didn't think I was as stubborn or as hot-tempered as I was.

I had once overheard her and Papa talking. They planned for me to become Helmeppo's wife. If something were to happen and the marriage didn't happen, I would just become a Marine and fight the very thing I wanted to be the most. Pirates.

But, I would have none of that.

On the way home, we passed a small calico cat. Me, being the child I was, I stopped and petted the cat. She purred loudly and I giggled when I practically heard her talking.

*Well, thank you little human kit. Oh…that feels very good. Right there, behind the ear…THANK YOU!*

"Bye-bye Miss Cat." I waved to the animal before rushing over to Mama.

* * *

I sighed as Amelia braided my long fiery red hair into a braid.

"What's the matter young Miss?" Amelia asked me. I always felt sad after visiting Helmeppo. I hated him, but Mama and Papa kept on making me visit him. I wanted other friends.

"I don't want to hang out with Helmeppo. He's mean and ugly and today, he made me eat something, and I don't know what it was!"

"Oh, hush. I'm sure you'll be alright. It takes a lot more than that to take down pirates like us." She smiled at me and showed the golden tooth that she hid behind her usual frown as she gently rubbed her thumb across the birthmark on my cheek.

Yep. My nanny was a pirate too. And my parents were idiots for not realizing it.

I just smiled back at her as she tucked me in and left the room.

As soon as she was gone, I jumped up and yanked my hair out of the braid so that it fell across my face and covered my bright green eyes. When I had first come home and looked at my reflection, I had seen a haunting look in them. And my pupils had at the time, been narrow slits…almost like a cat's…

Again, I let out another sigh when I saw that they were normal. I had probably just imagined it.

I climbed back into bed and drifted off into a warm sleep…

* * *

And I woke up to screaming.

My eyes snapped open and I jumped up and out of my bed. Amelia was staring at me like I was a monster. A wisp of black hair hung in my face and I blew it out of the way.

And then I stopped. Black. Hair?

But my hair was red…not black.

I jumped over Amelia who was sitting on the floor and I ran to my mirror. I met eyes with a cat…or at least the eyes of a cat. My pupils were indeed slits, and my red hair was now mostly black, with streaks of orange and white, with the occasional strand of grey or brown. Two large, feline ears sat on the top of my head, but swiveled towards Amelia as she stood up. One was black while the other was white. The birthmark on my left cheek seemed to stand out more.

The little blob, shaped like a skull and crossbones was now a soft pink, rather than a shade just a little paler than my usual tan skin.

"I'M GOING TO PUNCHED THAT SPOILED BRAT!" I yelled. I knew what had happened to me. Amelia had let me borrow some of her books and she sometimes told me stories.

One was about a tree that bore fruit that could give people special powers. 'Big Bro' had eaten one, and it gave him the ability to turn himself into fire.

And I now knew what Helmeppo had forced me to eat.

A Devil Fruit.

"Poor young Miss." Amelia said as she wrapped her long slender arms around me. I leaned against her and cried lightly, my small sobs sounded more like mews now, but it didn't matter now.

That was the last time I ever cried.

Because it was the last time I ever had anyone to cry with.

* * *

Mama fussed over me while Papa laughed lightly. He was always more laid back than she was.

"Kitten…I guess that nickname suits you more than ever now." He smiled at me and I couldn't help but join him. He pulled me into a tight hug, and I felt as though I would be safe forever.

But good times never last.

Ever.

That night, we had all sat down to eat supper. This was an event that rarely happened back then, and can never happen now.

Dinner had started quiet, with Mama and Papa occasionally talking to one another, or saying something to me.

And then suddenly, it wasn't quiet. A loud explosion blasted somewhere near the front of the house, and people began screaming. Dry wall became dust, filling the air. It was so hard to see. A gunshot fired somewhere down the hall, and there was a loud, amused giggle. It was like the tinkling of bells.

Papa rushed Mama and I into the safe room, not far from the dining room. Because we lived on a Marine Base island, we got more pirate activity than most would expect...crews were constantly coming to either break out crew mates, or to get revenge on Marines who had killed their Nakama. As the safe room door swung shut, I watched as Amelia pulled two large guns from out from under her skirt. She grinned right at me in a way I had never seen before. Something about it made a shiver run up my spine.

Before the door was sealed shut, I heard her giggle cheerfully.

With the door sealed, Mama let out a quiet sob as she held me close. I wasn't crying though, Something in me was just too...excited...for me to cry.

Thanks to my new Devil Fruit ability, my hearing was far better than before, and I could hear everything that was going on outside of the safe room. I could hear Amelia giggling and talking to someone outside the room.

She was a pirate...but I supposed this showed me what kind of pirate she was. She was nothing like my Captain was...nothing like the kind of pirate I wanted to be.

Mama and I were going to die. But for some reason, I still couldn't bring myself to cry. I turned my head to look up at Mama, and I smiled at her, "I love you Mama, but I don't think I'll live long enough to marry that ugly little twerp."

"What are you saying? Your father won't let them get-" just as she spoke, the door had swung open, and suddenly...Mama was a limp lump of flesh in my arms as blood trailed down onto my arms from the large gaping hole in her head.

I looked over her body at the large pirate in front of me.

The man had a black mustache the twirled at the ends. He wore a long, dark blue sequined jacket with a matching top hat. He wore bright red pants and on his belt was a whip. In his hand was the gun that had killed Mama.

I just stared into his insane blue eyes. Like Amelia's, they made me scared. I flicked my tail from time to time. I showed no fear in my eyes even though I knew I was going to die. As my Captain told me;

"A pirate never shows the fear of death."

I hadn't even realized that I had spoken until the pirate in front of me burst into laughter.

"Well, you'll be a good attraction." He said before he was suddenly right in front of me and then, everything went black.

~Yo Ho~ A Pirate's life for me~


End file.
